How Many Kids Does Gene Hackman Have? Meet Them All

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, police found Gene Hackman, his wife, Betsy Arakawa, and one of their dogs dead in their New Mexico home. Currently, an investigation is underway, but foul play is not suspected. He leaves behind an extensive legacy; starring in legendary films such as "The French Connection," "The Conversation," and "The Royal Tenenbaums." Hackman's three children survive him; Christopher, Elizabeth, and Leslie.

Gene Hackman was married to Faye Maltese from 1956 until 1986, and the two welcomed Christopher into the world in 1960. During an interview with Empire from 2020, Hackman indicated that his son was once following in his footsteps, which dually helped him with his writing. "My son thought he wanted to be an actor at one time and was in New York and I wrote him a couple of little monologues. I guess that's where I started."

The couple had their first daughter, Elizabeth, in 1962, and welcomed Leslie in 1966. The girls would often attend their dad's premieres and events by his side, and they helped him get further in his career in a comically literal way. Though he didn't clarify which daughter, he told Cigar Aficionado in September 2000, "I used to have to borrow my daughter's car to go to interviews in Hollywood. Just a piece-of-s*** Toyota and I'd have to park it a couple of blocks [away] and walk so I wouldn't be seen as being that needy."

Gene Hackman, unfortunately, said he'd had a strained relationship with his children before his death. The actor has been candid about the severed ties from his kids, and when it comes to parenting in Hollywood, absence is unfortunately to be expected. During an interview with ​GQ from June 2011, he remarked of his bond with his son, "I lost touch with my son in terms of advice early on. Maybe it had to do with being gone so much, doing location films when he was at an age where he needed support and guidance. It was very tough for me to be gone for three months and then come home and start bossing him around." 

Before making it big, Hackman had to rely on his family to be his support system when he struggled, but he put his career before doing the same in return. "I couldn't always be home with them when they were growing up and then, living in California, they've had my success always hanging over their heads," he told The Irish Independent in 2020.

Our thoughts are with his children at this heartbreaking time.